Sake to Me
Wine lists don’t scare me. I typically have a greater variety of beers in my house than most bars have on draft. But sake is another story. With the recent spate of pan-Asian openings, I’ve found myself deciphering the offerings and sampling the wares. Here’s my advice on getting acquainted with the world of rice wine.
• Skip the hot stuff. It’s usually of lesser quality and its aroma is lost as the alcoholic vapors assault your nose as they rise from the heated glass.
• Read the list and make inferences based on your wine preferences. Good menus will let you know which sakes are dry, light, crisp or floral. Raw has a good plain-language sake list that offers plenty of info for the newbie.
• Never hesitate to ask. On a recent trip to Azie, whose list is less descriptive than some, I was amazed by my server’s ability to rattle off knowledgeable descriptions of each choice. I had a similar encounter with a smarty pants server at Pearl.
• I look for a combination of these two words: Junmai, which means no additional alcohol has been added, and Ginjo, which refers to a medium-high level of refinement (at least 40 percent of the grain has been polished away.)
• Get educated. The upcoming Sake Fest at the Loews on April 9th will be a terrific opportunity to taste a variety of styles—always the best and most fun way to learn.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Thank you for helping to spread the word about Sake. Many people love to brag about how they “love” to drink Sake with their sushi. But, most people have little or no knowledge about what they are drinking
and what good Sake actually tastes like. Unless you are in a major city, the chances of your being served a good sake at your local Sushi bar or “Japanese” restaurant, are slim to none. Education is the key.